The Durham resident -- a colorectal cancer survivor, national spokesman on the subject and who also writes a weekly column for this newspaper -- says many of us are embarrassed to talk about colonoscopies, colon health and anything else that strays too close to the rear-end region.
"A lot of people don't talk about it or don't get checked because they think it's this humiliating thing, but really the procedure is extremely simple and painless," he said. "People need to know that colon cancer is very preventable."
As part of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March, the Sunderland resident's voice can be heard in a Ministry of Health-sponsored TV commercial, aimed at raising awareness of colon cancer and the importance of proper screening.
Mr. Crone, a well known local actor, writer, comedian and motivational speaker, was diagnosed with colon cancer at the relatively young age of 44, and today, at 48, is a survivor.
The commercial he appears in is part of a larger initiative called ColonCancerCheck, announced by the Province on March 14.
The campaign also includes a new website (www.coloncancercheck.ca) and the launch of take-home colorectal cancer screening kits, which will be available to health-care providers in April to distribute to Ontario residents age 50 and over.
The kits, called fecal occult blood tests, work by detecting trace amounts of blood in the stool. Those who test positive will be sent for a follow-up colonoscopy.
People without a family doctor can pick up a test kit at a local pharmacy and send it off to a central lab for results.
If it comes back positive, they will be notified by a provincial registry to arrange for a colonoscopy.
Colon cancer kills about 3,250 people in Ontario each year and is the second-leading cause of cancer death for men and women combined, after lung cancer.
What is more startling is the fact that this type of cancer can be cured 95 per cent of the time, if it's caught early.
"No one wants to go through chemotherapy or radiation and obviously no one wants to die," Mr. Crone said. "You can easily save yourself from all that."
In addition to his work on the TV ads, Mr. Crone will be taking to the stage for the fourth annual Crack a Smile comedy night in support of the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada on April 12 at the George Weston Recital Hall in Toronto. For tickets, call 1-877-50COLON.
